I have always been interested in making things. When I was a child, I enjoyed painting, but I also liked malting things out of day. I won a prize for one of my paintings when I was fourteen.

That may be why I went to art school four years later. But I studied painting at first, not pottery. I like being a potter because I like to work with my hands and feel the clay.  I'm happy working by myself and being near my home.  I don't like mass-produced things, for they are made by machines and are all the same. I think crafts(手工艺) are very important and crafts persons(手艺人)make things cleverly with hands. They make our lives colorful. When I left school, I got some money.  I hope to become a full-time craftswoman. This workplace is small, but I wish tot: move to a larger one next year.

1. The writer went to the art school at the age of___________

2. The writer is talking about her workplace_____________

 A. unhappily           B. hopefully

 C. seriously           D. angrily

3. From the passage we know that the writer prefers

A. a long way to work

B. group work

 C. a small workplace

 D. something different

4. What does "mass-produced" mean in Chinese?

5. From the passage we are sure that the writer is a  ________      (man/woman).

During the day, you spend a lot of time running, jumping, laughing, eating, and talking. You use up a lot of energy(能量) , and by the end of the day you're tired. Sleep gives your body a chance to rest.

But your brain (大脑)and body are not completely at rest during sleep. While you sleep, your mind may think of the things that happened during the day. It keeps the important things in mind as memories(记忆). It also thinks about things you were worrying about, and you may wake up with answers to some of your problems.

You also grow while you sleep. The thing called "human growth hormone (荷尔蒙)" in the body helps you grow during sleep. This growth hormone also helps the body to repair itself.

Sleep helps your body to conserve energy too. You use up a lot of energy during your daily activities. But when you sleep, your body temperature falls, and your "metabolism" (新陈代谢) slows down. You are still using some energy, but much less than when you are awake and active.

Have you ever stayed up past your bedtime? Did you have difficulty getting up the next morning? Maybe you had problems seeing clearly or you cannot think clearly. That was your body's way of saying, "I need sleep！" A lack ( 缺乏) of sleep can stop your body and mind from working correctly.

1.What does "human growth hormone" do while people sleep?

2.According to the passage, which of the following tells you need sleep?

3.What does the underlined word "conserve" mean?

4.What is this passage mainly about?

Many cultures have different ideas about why people catch colds. For example in the United States, some people think that you can catch a cold if your feet get cold. So, mothers tell small children to wear warm boots in the winter. In other places, including parts of the Middle East, some people believe that strong winds cause colds. So, on trains and buses, people usually don’t like to sit next to open windows. In parts of Europe, some people think that wearing wet clothes will give you a cold. They say that after you go swimming, you should quickly put on dry clothes. Today, scientists know that colds are caused by a virus（病毒）. But the old ideas are still very strong, and many people still follow them to avoid（避免）getting ill.

1.What is the main idea of this reading?

A．People still believe old ideas about why they catch colds.

B．Colds are the biggest health problem in the world.

C．Some people think that strong winds cause colds.

D．You should take good care of your health in winter.

2.Which is NOT a cause（成因）of colds in the reading?

A．bad food    B．wet clothes        C．a virus        D．strong winds

3.In "people still follow them to avoid getting ill", what does "them" mean?

A．scientists   B．old ideas    C．colds  D．dry clothes

4.According to the reading, which of the following is NOT true?

A．There are many different ideas about how people catch colds.

B．Scientists don’t know how people catch colds.

C．Some people think that wearing wet clothes gives you a cold.

D．In the U.S., many small children wear boots in winter.

5.Many people in different countries have ________ ideas about why people catch colds.

A．no       B．one    C．the same   D．different

Many people love going on a trip by plane , but an airport is usually far from the city . You have to arrive there and wait for hours for the plane to take off and it is often late . You can't open the window .You can't choose the food .Planes are fast ,but it takes hours to get out of the airport and into the city .

I like travelling by train .I think trains are safe . Train stations are usually in cities . when you are late for a train , you can catch another one . You can walk around in the train and open the windows . You can see many interesing things on your way . I know it takes a little more time .

I also like cars . You can start your trip when you want to . and you don't need to get to a station . You can carry many things with you too . But sometimes there are many cars on the road .

1.Many people like travelling by plane because ___.

A．it is slow                              B．you can open the window

C．it is fast                               D．the airport is fay from the city

2.What does "take off " mean ?

A．达到             B．起飞             C．降落             D．脱掉

3.If you want to take many things with you , you would like to take ___

A．a bus             B．a train            C．a plane           D．a car

4.What is the disadvantge of the car ?

A．You needn't go to the station .              B．You can start your trip when you want to .

C．There are too many cars on the road .        D．You can see many interesting things .

5.which sentence about the writer is TRUE?

A．He likes taking a plane because it takes a lot of time to go to the city .

B．He likes taking a train because train stations are usually in cities .

C．He likes taking a bus because he can drive it .

D．He likes taking a plane because it is fast .

     It is September first today. A new school year begins. Hu Ming gets up early. He puts on the nicest clothes. After a quick breakfast he says goodbye to his parents and leaves with a new school bag. His mother wants to take him to his school. but he doesn't let her do so.

      "The school is less than a hundred meters from here. I can walk there in two minutes. "There are a lot of people in the school this morning. Hu Ming finds Miss Wang in the teachers' office. She brings out a book and asks. "What's your name?"

      "Hu Ming. madam. "answers the boy.   

      "When were you born (出生) .

      "In 2001."

      "Where's your native place?

       "What does "native place "mean, please?

       "It means the place where you were born."

       "Oh. I see. It's the Beijing Maternity (妇产) Hospital.

  1. What is the date?

  2. How old is Hu Ming now?

  3. Is the school far from his home?

  4. What is Miss Wang?

  5. Does Hu Ming understand (理解) Miss Wang?